


Contingency

by BonesyBoop



Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers: Prime
Genre: And violence, M/M, NSFW, Some psychological torture, Starscream is not a sweetheart, Sticky, Will contain gore in the future
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-13
Updated: 2014-10-13
Packaged: 2018-02-21 00:00:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2447885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BonesyBoop/pseuds/BonesyBoop
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A contingent event; a chance, accident, or possibility conditional on something uncertain. Uncertainty didn't even begin to cover this...whatever it was.</p><p>Loosely based off an old RP. Couldn't think of a better title.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> SO I actually hate these first two chapters. A lot. But, my beta likes them, so I'm going to shove my own misgivings aside and let the public decide. This fic might get a complete overhaul or complete deletion, depending on how I feel in the future. Dunno how many chapters there will be but I do know they'll be in the double digits; hope you're ready for the ride.
> 
> I love this crackship.
> 
> (TO ANYONE WAITING FOR A NEW CHAPTER OF PARADISE; I'm working on it, sorry for the wait. I had to push it aside and recharge my batteries before pushing forward with that one.)

Starscream’s tanks churned loudly, an occurrence that would usually be humiliating to him - but as he slunk through the abandoned mine he felt only fear, as if the slightest misstep could alert Megatron to his location. He’d already scouted the area meticulously, but a stifling paranoia fuelled his caution; what if he’d missed something? What if Soundwave was in the area? What if this mine wasn’t as abandoned as he thought?

Intense hunger broke through the downward spiral his thoughts had taken, and Starscream was begrudgingly thankful for it. He didn’t need to be more wound up than he already was – he needed to keep his focus. His energy reserves were dangerously low and he needed energon now. Even just a scrap would be a blessing.

Just a scrap indeed…Starscream snarled, lashing out at the nearby rock face. His claws left deep scars in the rock, and he smirked; it was a small satisfaction to scar the damnable rock so easily, but it would do. A nice reminder of how lethal he could be.

Of course, lethality meant nothing when he had no energy reserves and couldn’t fly. Starscream’s smirk instantly fell into a frown; something needed to change, and soon. He could only survive on scraps for so long, and thanks to the loss of his T-cog stealing energon from the Nemesis was no longer an option. Stealing from an active mine was never an option, flight-capable or not. Cannon fodder though they were, Starscream could not stand up to a veritable army of drones on his own.

By process of elimination that left one last option; hardly a viable one, but still an option. The Autobots. Starscream shuddered, sneering distastefully; as much as he loathed the thought of being friendly with any Autobot, he was desperate. Desperate times called for desperate measures, and he had been thinking about this for a while.

Starscream was a skillful and well-practiced manipulator – he knew he was attractive, and he knew how and when to flaunt it. He was a master in the art of twisting words around to suit his fancy. Many times on Cybertron he’d gotten himself and a certain purple Trine member out of trouble with a few words and well-timed touches alone. There was another option, but…

Starscream sneered. There was no way in the pit he would ever consent to joining the Autobots – it was unlikely those bleeding heart saps would even trust him to begin with. Luckily for him however, those very ‘bleeding hearts’ could easily be swayed in his favour…so long as he played the right sap. Not that there were many to choose from.

Ratchet was out of the question. The good doctor was too shrewd, too perceptive. He’d see through Starscream’s lies in a nanoclick. Ratchet would more than likely throw him in the brig and be done with it. At the very least he’d be fed…but he wouldn’t be free.

Arcee was another option he’d discarded immediately – with a disgusted shudder at that. Even if he found himself attracted to sleeker frame types at all, THAT would be out of the question. The hate between them was mutual and deep and that suited him just fine.

Bumblebee…perhaps. The scout was naïve and energetic, as well as notoriously kind hearted. As young as he was, he was quite skilled and very brave – it was an attractive prospect. Unfortunately his loyalty to Optimus Prime was absolute, and if Starscream contacted him the scout would likely report to Prime first. The yellow was kind of garish anyway.

And that brought him to Optimus Prime himself…Now that was a lovely prospect. The Prime was quite a specimen, raw power contained by his benevolence and diplomatic nature – two things Starscream had to roll his optics at. Still, Optimus would perhaps be the easiest to manipulate. Feed him a few desperate pleas, appear tired and worn and on the verge of starvation…the mech would likely supply Starscream with enough to keep him in line.

Unfortunately the Prime would also be likely to deny Starscream’s advances and instead urge him to join the Autobot cause, leaving Starscream indebted to him. He would rather avoid owing the Autobots anything.

The last option was Bulkhead, the Autobot’s resident bruiser…another he could write off fairly quickly. There was nothing particularly attractive about the mech – he was big and powerful, sure, but he was rather plain. Starscream could only assume the green mech wasn’t that smart, being a bruiser and all. It could make him easy to manipulate but…Bulkhead was a former Wrecker, and quite a brute. He was far too dangerous.

So, Optimus or Bumblebee….what a choice. He doubted some coy looks and a brush of a wing would suffice this time around… If he had to offer ‘services’ in return for energon, he would. Survival was more important than pride – and he could always make his supplier suffer for it when he was in command of the Decepticon armada. A nice frag would do wonders for his mood either way.

Starscream sighed, helm falling against the rock face he’d been staring at for the past few minutes. He really was getting desperate. Starscream let his optics close, overcome by a swell of exhaustion; he knew he had to keep moving, find some energon crystals, but he just wanted to lie down and sleep.

That feeling quickly fled as the sound of engine hit his audials. His wings hiked up as he focused; the sound was definitely coming closer. Survival instincts kicked in as new energy flooded his systems, and he made a quick dash into the nearest cave. He realized too late it was likely a bad choice. He may have just trapped himself.

Starscream peered out from the cave carefully, keeping an optic on the dust cloud that was drawing nearer. Definitely a ground bound vehicle…

Starscream frowned, focusing his audial receivers. He could hear some kind of…noise. Noise that could loosely be called music, he supposed, if one could count a chaotic cacophony as music. The source of the noise soon sped into view over the rough terrain, a heavy-duty off-road vechicle. A green one.

Starscream’s wings drooped as he cursed his luck; of course, of course an Autobot would find him now. He grew worried as the vehicle skidded to a sudden stop at the mouth of the mine, slinking further into the shadows. That worry quickly transmuted into intrigue as one of the Autobot’s pet humans jumped out of the passenger seat.

This was good. Bulkhead wouldn’t do anything to risk the safety of the human girl.

Starscream looked into the tunnel behind him. He could easily disappear into the tunnels and continue the search for energon…but he was also curious. Just what was the Autobot doing here? With the trouble-bound human girl, nonetheless.

Perhaps, with any luck, they may discuss some Autobot secrets…

Well, that was unlikely. But he always did enjoy eavesdropping.

With an excited grin Starscream hunched down, edging toward the mouth of the tunnel. He adjusted his audials to the highest sensitivity and listened.

“I said no, Miko.” A deep rumbling voice, most certainly Bulkhead. Though he sounded much gentler than usual.

“Aww, c’mon Bulk! What if there’s a Con in there? Don’tcha wanna kick some butt?” He could hear the girl – Miko – shuffle around, and peered over to see what she was doing. Much to his amusement she was shifting from pede to pede and punching the air. He’d never seen anything less threatening.

Bulkhead was kneeling down in front her, having shifted into root mode. “Yeah, sure – when you’re not around to get stepped on.”

“Bulkheaaaad!”

“Miiiiikooo!” Bulkhead mocked her whine with a chuckle, “You remember what happened the last time you ran off into an old mine? I don’t want a repeat of that, Miko. We have no backup.”

Miko kicked at the ground, “I guess…but, what are the chances of Starscream showing up this time around? I mean, it can’t be THAT likely!”

Starscream had to supress a snicker at her expense – oh, it was far more likely than she expected.

From what he could see of the tiny human, Miko had started pouting. Far more intriguing was Bulkhead’s expression; the former Wrecker looked torn, glancing between the mines and his human. Was he really…?

It only took a second more before the mech caved. “Okay, okay! We can take a look around. But no going into the tunnels, got it?”

Miko whooped and pumped her fist into the air, and for a moment Starscream was impressed. Apparently he wasn’t the only one prone to manipulation…and she had just revealed to him how susceptible Bulkhead was.

The human ran forward and gave her guardian a hug, and to Starscream’s surprise Bulkhead picked her up and returned it. He had always found it intriguing how mechs with servos meant to crush and destroy could sometimes be so gentle…

Miko was just about to run into the mines when Bulkhead stopped her, apparently receiving a comm from the Autobot base. He stood and shrugged down at Miko, “Sorry, kiddo. They need me back at base.”

“Awh! Crap…” Miko sighed and crossed her arms, “But…we can come back right?”

“Yeah, sure. Just uh…don’t tell Arcee.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.” The mech transformed, door opening to let Miko back in. “Soon as we get another day off.”

“Awesome! Now put those tunes back on!” Miko jumped up into the passenger seat, door slamming behind her. A second later that almost-musical noise blared back on and the two sped away, back in the direction they came.

Starscream emerged from his hiding spot, a smirk on his face as he watched the dust cloud disappear. How intriguing…apparently Bulkhead was a more viable option than he had earlier assumed. The Wrecker had shown a much calmer side than Starscream had ever thought possible. And so easily swayed…

“Perfect.”

Now, just to set his plan in motion, wait for the right time to strike…his tanks gave another embarrassingly loud grumble, and he frowned. Right. Energon first, then crafty plotting.

* * *

 

As it turned out, Starscream didn’t have to wait too long for the right moment to come along. Of course, he thought as he sat on the ground clutching a wound in his side, he would have preferred the right moment to come with less pain.

Still, the Autobot medic had accepted his comm request, and would soon be along with his med kit. Starscream had scouted out several of Megatron’s active energon mines just in case something like this happened; he would have information to trade for medical care. And, if memory served correctly, Ratchet was almost always accompanied by Bulkhead when performing repairs on Starscream.

Perfect.

Starscream didn’t have to wait much longer for the two to arrive. A ground bridge opened up a ways in front of him, Bulkhead emerging first with his weapons already charged. Starscream took a moment to admire the raw power displayed in front of him; the Wrecker’s hardened glare met Starscream’s lighter gaze, and Starscream took that moment to let his glossa dart out over his lips. That certainly threw Bulkhead off. He recovered quickly, but the look on his face was almost comical.

Ratchet emerged a moment later, frowning as usual. He gave a quick appraising look to the wound in Starscream’s side and the weeping gash on his calf. He huffed, setting down his medkit. “So what’s the sob story this time?”

“Sob story? Hardly.” Starscream countered smoothly, purposefully lacing his tone with a purr. The Autobots noticed immediately and gave each other a quick, odd glance. “I merely had an accident…unfortunately,” he griped, cringing as real pain lanced through him, “I cannot fix all of the damage myself. So ah…Help?”

Ratchet fixed him with a steely expression, ever-present frown gracing his features once again. “Information first. Then we’ll see what I can do.”

Starscream rolled his optics, “I have the locations of three operational energon mines and co-ordinates of two places that appear to have been recently scouted.” His business-like tone faded, turning once more into a purr as he smirked, “Is that good enough, Doctor, or is further…persuasion required?”

Oh, he could make a sport out of throwing the Autobots off their game. Starscream felt uniquely satisfied as Ratchet’s brows furrowed, the medic taking a subconscious step back from the Seeker. Bulkhead simply leaned toward said medic, optics fixed on Starscream as if he was expecting the Seeker to do something unsavoury.

“Think he hit his head, doc?” Oh, that earned the former Wrecker an acidic glare; not that Bulkhead reacted to it much outside of a small snicker. Still. Starscream was perfectly well in the processor and NOT brain damaged, thank you.

Ratchet scrubbed a hand over his face, already wishing he had just stayed in his berth. “Lean onto your good side a little and databurst those co-ordinates to me. The sooner we finish this up, the better.”

Starscream did as instructed, wordlessly sending the databurst through an open channel. Ratchet grumbled as he received it, likely doing several virus checks just in case. Nevertheless he knelt down beside the Seeker, opened up his medkit – and began swearing. Starscream would later deny the alarmed yelp that escaped him when the medic’s temper flared.

“Slag-sucking Primus of all the…” Ratchet stood suddenly, snatching up his kit and casting a sharp look in Bulkhead’s direction. “Keep him still. I’ll be back.”

“Ratch?” Bulkhead’s curious call fell on deaf ears as Ratchet stormed past him, disappearing into the ground bridge and grumbling all the way. “Uh…okay.”

Whatever had just happened, it sure got Ratchet in a mood…and now he was stuck alone with Starscream. Maybe if he was lucky the Seeker wouldn’t try to talk, and they could just have a nice, long awkward silence.

Yeah right.

Bulkhead drew in a deep breath as he heard said Seeker start to move, turning back to Starscream with a frown. His weapons began to charge in warning, “Doc said not to move, ‘Scream – and my trigger finger is getting antsy. I suggest you stay put.”

Starscream made a dismissive sound, using the tree he had been leaning against to pull himself up into a standing position. As startling – and he had only been startled, he had not been afraid in the slightest - as the medic’s outburst had been, it had given him the opportunity to play around with Bulkhead in a far more direct way. Yes, now that they were alone he could be a little blunter and really test the ex-Wrecker’s reactions…

And he was fairly sure that threat was a bluff. Fairly.

“A shot would just give your medic more to fix. I have already fulfilled my part of the bargain, after all.” Starscream smirked, leaning back against the tree. It hurt to stand what with the wound in his side, but he had been through far worse in the past. For now the pain would have to be ignored.

He crossed his legs slightly, assuming an overtly provocative position, wings flared out behind him. It was a shame he didn’t have the proper materials to spruce himself up – Starscream knew he looked attractive regardless of his current state, but with a buff and some polish he could be absolutely stunning. Still, it seemed to work. The Autobot’s attention was focused solely on him. Starscream bit his bottom lip coyly, letting his optics roam over Bulkhead’s impressive frame.

A deep purr once again found its way into his tone, “But your medic did tell you to keep me still. What are you going to do? Pin me?” He licked his lips, letting out an intrigued sound. “Hmm…now that’s a thought.” If his intentions weren’t clear before, they certainly were now.

And judging by the way Bulkhead’s optics followed the path of Starscream’s servo as it slid deliberately up his shapely thigh; the Autobot was readily taking the bait. He let out a low, husky chuckle, drawing his claw up along his cockpit.

“You certainly could pin me with ease…” Bulkhead’s optics were still fixed on his wandering claw, and for a moment he wondered if anything he was saying was even registering in the ex-Wrecker’s processor. His own optics wandered down to the Autobot’s crotch plating, and he felt a small surge of arousal flicker through him. “I wonder if everything about you is that…big.”

That got the Autobot’s attention, and suddenly wide, stunned blue optics were fixed on his. The only reply he got was a shaky and oh-so-intelligent “Uh…” as Bulkhead attempted to collect his bearings. Oh, this was fun – fewer things made Starscream feel as powerful as having someone reduced to putty in his servos.

“You’re hitting on me.” Bulkhead’s shocked look soon morphed into one of suspicion, and he frowned once again. “What’re you playing at, Starscream?”

“Hmm, nothing gets past you does it?” Starscream purred, expertly faking a sigh, “But alas, I’m not playing at anything. No schemes, no plots…” His optics once again roamed over the other mech’s form. “A mech has needs…and you are certainly my type.”

“Your type.” Bulkhead parroted him dryly, optics still narrowed in doubt. His focus was shattered briefly as Starscream shifted his hips, instantly drawing Bulkhead’s attention.

“Hmm, oh yes…Strong, large servos…”

Ratchet came storming back before Starscream could finish, stopping short as he realized the Seeker was standing and wearing a strangely satisfied look. One that was directed at Bulkhead, who looked more than just a little uncomfortable. It was worrying, and he instantly regretted leaving Bulkhead behind to guard Starscream alone.

But there was nothing for it now. The sooner Ratchet got the repairs done, the sooner they could get away from the Seeker. He set to work crimping and re-sealing broken lines, stopping the remaining trickles of fluid leaking from the wound in the Seeker’s side. Starscream’s self-repair had stopped most of the leaks already – nothing in the wound was burnt or cauterized, meaning it was likely from a physical blow.

He catalogued the data automatically, medical programming taking over as he focused solely on fixing his patient. Still, it was hard to miss the uncharacteristic silence that fell over the site. Usually Starscream would talk and complain endlessly whether he was spoken to or not; now he just sat there, a smug grin on his face, quite obviously staring Bulkhead down. It was concerning, to say the least. But it also wasn’t his main problem at the moment.

“Alright. I fixed what I could in your side. Whatever slag you got yourself into, it did a lot of damage – your self-repair will have to handle the rest. It might be numb for a while.” Ratchet shuffled down, prodding at the gash in Starscream’s leg. The Seeker squawked indignantly, pouting when the doctor shushed him. “Bulkhead, get over here.”

The former wrecker shuffled closer to the other two mechs, vehemently ignoring the look Starscream was giving him. “What’s up, Ratch?”

“I need you to hold Starscream’s leg up for repairs.” Ratchet informed, “The damage is mostly on the underside of his calf. I need my servos free and I can’t have him twitching while I work.”

“Uh…you sure?” Bulkhead suddenly felt a rush of apprehension, digits of his untransformed hand twitching. Starscream shot a knowing smirk in his direction, thoroughly enjoying the former wrecker's discomfort.

“Would I ask if I wasn't? Get over here, the sooner we're done the better.” Ratchet huffed, muttering impatiently as Bulkhead finally followed his orders.

The Seeker grinned as Bulkhead's servo wrapped around his ankle, holding his leg up as the medic did his work. His glossa peeked out to run along his bottom lip, darkened red optics locked onto Bulkhead's wide blue ones.

The Autobot tensed up in shock, and Starscream smirked in response – only to yelp when Ratchet prodded the wound on his leg, glaring a warning at the seeker. “Behave.”

Starscream huffed, but obeyed. They were almost done here, and he was satisfied with both being repaired and getting under Bulkhead's plating – the rest of the repairs were done in silence.

Ratchet held back a sigh of relief as he finished, performing a quick final scan of his temporary patient. With a huff he stood, scooping up his field kit. “There, you’re done. But I suggest you fuel up soon. Your levels are low.”

Starscream’s optics focused on him for the first time in the last thirty minutes, scanning over Ratchet as if looking for something. Ratchet snorted, turning abruptly as the ground bridge appeared a short ways away. “Free samples weren’t a part of the bargain. You’re on your own.” He trudged to the swirling green bridge, sending Bulkhead a stern look. “Follow.”

The medic was gone, and a second later Bulkhead received a databurst over an open channel. He stopped against his better judgement, looking back at Starscream over his shoulder. The Seeker was standing and stretching, making a show of his newly repaired form. Against his better judgement, Bulkhead opened the data packet – and his engine stalled in shock at the suggestions inside.

Starscream’s optics fixed on him once more, a flirty and triumphant smirk crossing over his features. He sauntered past Bulkhead, claws grazing over his chassis, hips swinging in a way that was in not at all kosher. He could feel the Autobot's engine stutter.

“Well...see you around, Autobot.” He purred yet again, a tone that almost made Bulkhead’s plating shudder. And then Starscream was gone, walking away into the forest that surrounded them.

Bulkhead watched him retreat, a thousand different thoughts swimming through his processor – the main question being ‘what just happened?’ He jumped as his comm unit crackled to life, Ratchet’s irate voice coming through and threatening to shut the ground bridge on him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fCUK. 
> 
> Thank you to pile-of-butts on tumblr for being my beta.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 with 100% more smut. At least I know that part is enjoyable. Next chapter we'll actually get to see more of the ensemble. Sorry.
> 
> See the end for notes.

Bulkhead's tires kicked up dust as he swerved off the road, heading toward an area the satellites had reported 'suspicious activity' in. There'd been a lot of that recently, actually. Enough that everyone who wasn't wounded was currently on their own – so, this was just a scouting mission. Strictly do not engage unless absolutely necessary.

It sucked, since he could use a nice fight to burn off some energy. His charge had been running high for a while now thanks to...reasons. But orders were orders, so instead of driving headlong into the scene Bulkhead transformed and ducked behind a rocky outcrop. The site was far out in the desert, so at least there wouldn't be any humans around.

The former wrecker crept closer to the signal mapped on his HUD, primed and ready for whatever he would see – it was almost disappointing to see that the 'suspicious signal' he was sent after was none other than Starscream. Grounded, half-fuelled Starscream.

He let out a quiet huff and rolled his optics, powering up his arm cannon. The seeker was hardly a threat, but he'd already come all the way out here.

Starscream was so caught up in his angry muttering that he didn't even notice the Autobot's approach. From what Bulkhead could see, the seeker was gathering up scavenged energon crystals into a broken down trolley. So, this was probably an old mine.

He paused, taking a moment to admire the view as Starscream shifted his hips, wings flicking and flaring behind him. The seeker bent over slightly to pick through the crystals, and the former wrecker had to focus to keep his engine from revving – it had been way, way too long.

Bulkhead announced his presence with the low whine of his cannon charging, causing the seeker to visibly flinch and curse.

“Hands up, 'Scream.”

Grumbling under his breath, Starscream held his claws up in compliance and slowly turned around to face the ex-Wrecker, levelling a dry glare at the thicker mech. When he spoke, his voice was equally dry and irritated.

“I take it this isn't a personal call.”

Bulkhead scoffed, brow arching up in amusement. “You wish.”

“At this point, I do.” Starscream grumbled, “So am I not even allowed to feed myself anymore?”

“Sorry 'Scream,” Bulkhead shrugged one massive shoulder, more than a little amused at the petulant glare the nickname got him, “Orders. I was told to check this place for a 'suspicious signal.' Guess you didn't cover your tracks well enough.”

Starscream let his servos fall to his side, wings hanging down in dejection as he eyed the cannon Bulkhead had aimed at his helm. Hesitating for a moment, Starscream wracked his processor for a way out of his predicament; he really wasn't in the mood or the condition, but...

“Well, I...” He bit his lip coyly, wings fluttering behind him as he put on a shier facade. “I don't suppose there would be any way I coul-”

“Don't even think about it.” Bulkhead cut in, causing the seeker to pout and drop his wings again, brows furrowed together in frantic thought. It was actually kind of adorable – not that he'd ever admit that. Truth be told, the last...encounter with Starscream had really revved his engine up. The seeker had got him pretty good – but he wasn't that easy to trick.

No matter how tempting the trick was.

“Oh, come now...” Starscream purred, having apparently decided to go for it again. “Just a little fun, we both get something out of it, then we just go on like nothing ever happened...”

The seeker drew a deadly claw up his cockpit, wings fluttering behind him invitingly, and it did momentarily throw Bulkhead off his game – but only for a moment. The Autobot leveled a glare at him, internally activating his comm system to report and request orders.

But the seeker's demeanour suddenly changed, wings hiking up high and tense on his back, brows furrowing together. His optics narrowed, darting around and scanning the area as he hunched in on himself.

“Wait- you said signal? My comms are off. I'm not broadcasting.”

Debris shifted behind them before Bulkhead could say anything, and in an instant Starscream's optics grew wide and fearful. The area became deathly quiet.

“...Aw, slag.”

Bulkhead barely had time to roll out of the way, a blast grazing by his helm from behind. He heard the seeker screech and scramble away, but that was hardly his main concern.

Planting a pede down, Bulkhead swung around and struck out, his wrecking ball connecting with the faceplate of an attacking vehicon. He was swarmed in an instant, barely having time to worry for Arcee and Bumblebee before being lost in the heat of battle.

Starscream barely had time to scramble out of the way of the first blast, and what he saw when he looked up made him want to scream in frustration. His trolley of scavenged crystals – gone, exploded. No more.

With a snarl he hefted himself up, rounding on the vehicon nearest to him and tearing its throat out. Energon spurted from the wound and down his claws, and he gave the dying mechanism a dark smirk. Now that, that felt good.

But it also had the unfortunate side effect of alerting more of them to his presence. There were a lot – no doubt the 'signals' the Autobots detected were traps. Foolish of them, really. Unfortunately Starscream was also caught in one, and he had two choices.

One, bridge out and risk one or more of the drones following him, thus possibly revealing his location to Megatron.

Two, aid the Autobot and slip away when the others inevitably came to his rescue...if they did at all. Neither option was promising, but he had little time to deliberate.

Starscream heaved forward with a snarl, sinking his claws into yet another drone. His free arm shifted into a blaster, firing off a shot that went straight through the helm of a vehicon that had been attacking Bulkhead.

The bruiser momentarily fixed him with a surprised look before his attention was drawn away. The contingent of drones was only meant to ambush one Autobot, albeit a strong one – Starscream was an unexpected outlier. And surprise was always his greatest asset.

Moving with deadly precision, Starscream easily found his way to Bulkhead's side and the two fell into the dance of battle – sides of the war be damned, a fighter was still a fighter and the rhythm was an easy one to fall into.

Bulkhead's brute force easily took care of the majority of the drones, his wider attacks leaving the drones open for Starscream's deadly, quick strikes. Even in a weakened state, the drones were no match for him; and that had Starscream running high on bloodlust. Each strike did wonders for his ego.

The drones were dispatched, leaving the strange pair winded and wounded but still alive. Starscream's engines purred in delight, a dark smirk etched onto his features. He brought an energon-soaked claw up to his mouth and drew his glossa along it, lapping up the droplets that fell onto his lip. He sauntered back over to his ruined haul of energon crystals, sneering down at the remains, wings hiked high on his back. Completely destroyed...but at least he had gotten his revenge. And, he mused as he licked a second talon clean – energon was energon, after all – what an exhilarating revenge it had been...

Starscream had barely a nanoclick to sense the presence at his back before he was slammed into the rock before him, acute fear shooting through him, the Autobot-

He felt Bulkhead's powerful engine thrum against his wings, field flaring out and crushing around him, heady with arousal – half fueled by battlelust, half by the show Starscream had inadvertently put on.

Fear instantly drained away as the Seeker was caught in a full-body shudder, arching back against the Autobot eagerly, voice gravelly with his own arousal, “Oh, _yes.”_

Bulkhead growled against his throat when the seeker exposed it, sending yet another shudder through the slender mech. The Autobot pulled away, cutting Starscream's whine short as he flipped the Seeker around, easily pinning the former 'Con once again.

Starscream moaned and arched against him as their pelvic arrays ground together, one of Bulkhead's massive servos groping at his aft and down a shapely thigh. Starscream's claws found purchase on the wrecker's wide shoulders as Bulkhead claimed his mouth in a searing, dominating kiss. Starscream whined into the contact, a slender leg hooking around one of the Autobot's as his valve cover clicked open.

Vents clicked on to their highest setting, Bulkhead swearing under his breath as his digits brushed against the wet folds of the seeker's valve, pulling a needy gasp from the former con. Bulkhead ground their pelvic arrays together again, his own growing unbearably hot, spike already pressurized beneath it. Lubricant from Starscream's valve smeared across his armor and Bulkhead groaned, moving to bite at the seeker's exposed throat.

“Slag...” He rubbed at the Seeker's valve, digit slipping up against Starscream's anterior node cluster and pulling a shriek from him.

Starscream ground his hips down against Bulkhead's servo, vocalizer catching as he pleaded – more, more, Primus please-

Bulkhead's spike finally sprung free as he sunk a digit into the wet valve. Starscream's optics focused at the sound, hips grinding down against the invading digit. His entire body trembled as he laid eyes on the ex-wrecker's spike, an appreciative groan escaping him – oh, that was _big._ Swollen and thick, Starscream knew that spike would burn, and he craved it.

Lubricant dripped freely from his valve, even more escaping as Bulkhead pumped a second digit into him. Starscream threw his head back with a breathy moan, calipers clenching around the intrusion as he pumped his hips, trying to get them even deeper inside.

A deep groan drew Starscream's attention to Bulkhead as a whole, and his arousal spiked as he realized the Autobot's lust-darkened optics were completely fixed on him. Bulkhead's thick digits curled inside him and Starscream's vision momentarily whited out, the rough movement pulling a desperate whine from his vocaliser.

“So fraggin' hot...” The Autobot growled against his audial, catching the wanton seeker's mouth once again. Starscream moaned into the heady kiss, growing sloppy as he felt his charge rise. The wrecker's digits pounded into him, Starscream's vocals grew higher and higher in pitch, wings scratching against the rock he was pinned against, so close so close-

Bulkhead abruptly pulled his digits out, drawing a desperate moan from Starscream. He fisted his own spike, hastily smearing the seeker's own lubricant over it before hefting the other mech up. Starscream's legs instantly hooked around his waist as he lined himself up, half-sheathing himself inside the former con with one thrust.

Starscream arched and screamed in a minor overload, whimpering and grinding down against the invading spike. The intrusion burned in all the best ways, calipers straining to accommodate the thick length piercing into him.

It was Bulkhead's turn to moan as Starscream squeezed around him, biting at his chin guard and urging him to keep going, to give him more, always he wanted more – the Autobot obliged and began to move, pushing further into the seeker with each thrust.

By the time he was fully sheathed, Starscream was reduced to a whimpering, bucking mess. He still pleaded, semi-incoherent, a trickle of oral lubricant dripping from the corner of his mouth. Riveted to the sight, Bulkhead pulled halfway out and roughly slammed back in, pulling a wanton moan from the seeker.

With a growl Bulkhead surged forward, pinning the helpless seeker against the rock face as he started up a brutal pace. Starscream lived up to his name, screaming his the Autobot's name and moaning out praises each time the ex-wrecker hit his ceiling node.

Vents worked at their highest capacity, lubricant dripping down between them with every wet thrust into the seeker's tight heat, brutal pace punctuated with a wet smack every time their arrays met.

Starscream keened and clung to him, the rock behind him scraping against his wings. Bulkhead braced his arm behind the seeker, both for better leverage and keep his wings from getting too scratched up; Starscream was too lost to notice, whimpering and keening against the Autobot's throat as he was mercilessly pounded, each thrust lighting his sensory net up with blinding pleasure, mixing with the burn of being stretched and it was _so good-_

Overload all but slapped the seeker in the face, crashing over him with white-hot ecstasy and burning over his sensory net, and it was so perfect and Bulkhead continued to drive into him chasing his own overload and he needed _MORE-_

His chest plates snapped open, abruptly illuminating the space between them. Bulkhead unintentionally followed suit, so precariously balanced on his own knife-edge of ecstasy that he had no time to think before he slammed their half-exposed sparks together.

The world was oddly silent even as Bulkhead shouted his own overload, thick transfluid spilling into the seeker's valve, Starscream caught in a slient scream; it swirled and shifted around them as a new, foreign and completely overpowering pleasure shot through them. In the time that it took for a pin to drop, intimate knowledge of the other was shared and the white-hot feeling of _oneness_ burned its way through them.

It disappeared in a flash, leaving behind an overload more intense than any Bulkhead had ever experienced. Aftershocks still burned through his circuits and his body shuddered in response, spike seated deeply within the wet valve.

Starscream booted back up, held up against the rock by Bulkhead's support alone. He was bleary when he came online, hazy pleasure leaving him limp and sated-

He stilled immediately, hearing the audible clicks of chestplates locking back into place. Two sets of optics locked, one dumbstruck and the other horrified as they became aware of the lingering foreign presence in their sparks.

Bulkhead pulled out of the seeker suddenly, leaving Starscream to drop – or, he would have had the Autobot not subconsciously moved to support him. Starscream flinched away as if the touch burned, wings pinned low against his back.

They hadn't bonded, no; that takes a lot more concentration, a deliberate attempt. But it had been a partial merge, enough to amplify an overload and give them a sense of each other, an intimate look into another spark. Starscream had liked what he saw. It scared him.

Bulkhead stood there dumbly, at a loss of what to do; his spike had already retracted, but they were still a mess. Hesitating for a moment, Bulkhead pulled a cloth from his subspace and moved toward Starscream.

“Here, I-”

The seeker snatched the cloth from his servo and shrunk against the rock face, optics steadfastly fixed on the ground beneath his pedes. He was hunkered down like a cornered mechanimal.

“You should go.”

Bulkhead couldn't help the twinge of disappointment at the others words. He knew Starscream was right, it was a quick frag after a battle, not like the factions hadn't crossed like that before – Bulkhead had had more than a few after-battle frags, with allies and enemies alike depending. Post-frag cuddles were never on the roster.

But this time, it hurt. The ex-wrecker was waging a private war against himself – go, stay, go, stay. He knew the partial merge was accidental, and could have been dangerous, and really if it hadn't happened he wouldn't be feeling this way. Thank Primus Starscream hadn't been coherent enough to try and use the brief connection as a way to find their base. He'd lost control, he could have slipped up big time.

Go, stay, go, stay....

“...Yeah.” Bulkhead took a step back, “You're right.” He shifted into his alt mode, ignoring the mess of fluids staining his plating – a trip to the wash racks would clear it up. Just tell Ratchet that he'd driven through mud and the medic would likely bridge him straight into the showers.

The ex-wrecker peeled away, sending a report back to base that he'd run into a trap but he made it out fine. The others reported similarly, with added worry for how long he took to check in. He felt a pang of guilt, using it to push thoughts of Starscream into a far corner of his mind.

Starscream only looked up once the Autobot had left, optics briefly fixing on the dust trail he had kicked up. He looked down at the cloth in his servo, claws clenching around it. Fear, longing, sadness – he pushed them all aside in favour of anger, letting the cloth drop onto the ground. It was all a trick of the spark.

The energon he'd found was gone. He was at lower levels than before. He was wounded. He'd gotten a damn good frag out of it, but that counted for slag in the face of his impending energon shortage.

No more playing the Autobots. Too dangerous. It was a stupid idea anyway.

The seeker bridged himself back to the Harbinger, doing his damnedest to push thoughts of a long-dead shuttle aside, and forget just how warm and inviting the Autobot's spark had been, just like- no.

There was no room for whimsy in war.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO if you haven't guessed yet, I'm using some headcanons in writing this. Surprise!
> 
> \- Skyfire was a figure in Starscream's past. This will be elaborated on later.  
> \- Partial spark merges used to be common, especially among mechs who either had no spike/valve arrays or preferred not to use them. The sheer output of energy right through the spark would multiply overloads a thousandfold, and the only lingering effects would be a temporary peripheral awareness of the other(s) when they were nearby. As with any merge, you get a sense of who the other is, but cannot see or feel anything deeper. It will, of course, temporarily make one much more prone to being affectionate to their partner.  
> \- I do have headcanons about sparklings, but they will not be factoring into this fic. No babbies.
> 
> IF REQUESTED, I will write a non-sticky version of each sexy chapter and title it 'Chapter X alt.'

**Author's Note:**

> fCUK. 
> 
> Thank you to pile-of-butts on tumblr for being my beta.


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